Integrated technology quality model
An integrated technology quality model provides a decision-making matrix for managing and combining technology initiatives within a corporate environment. In a refining step, recommendations are made based on simple filters to decommission and/or clean up an existing technology portfolio. In an optimizing step, the data is further analyzed for details to identify applications performing similar activities in a business process. The optimizing step may result in a recommendation to decommission redundant applications. In a transforming step, core applications are enhanced or componentized to address additional needs and requirements. This develops a portfolio which has transformational impact on a business.
1 . A method for overhauling a technology portfolio, comprising:
(a) analyzing software applications in the technology portfolio to identify software applications that have a relatively low value, software applications that are redundant, and software applications that have a relatively high value; and
(b) making a recommendation based on the analyzing step to change the technology portfolio to:
(i) remove software applications that have a relatively low value;
(ii) remove software applications that are redundant; and
(iii) consider improving software applications that have a relatively high value.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises:
analyzing each application in the technology portfolio according to a filter to identify software applications that have a relatively low value.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the filter searches for applications that have a number of users below a given amount.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises:
determining whether the functionality of a given application is redundant compared to another application in the technology portfolio.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) comprises:
analyzing each application in the technology portfolio according to a criterion; and
collecting the analysis of each application in a criteria database,
wherein the recommendation in step (b) is made based on the analysis of each application in the criteria database.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the criterion is at least one of the following criteria: usage of the application by number of existing users; criticality of the application; impact of decommissioning the application on existing processes; availability and maintainability of the application source code; availability of documentation for the application; compliance issues; quality issues for existing processes; or quality issues with related applications.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(c) implementing the recommendation to change the technology portfolio.
8 . A system for overhauling a technology portfolio, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory in communication with the processor, the memory for storing a plurality of processing instructions for directing the processor to:
analyze software applications in the technology portfolio to identify software applications that have a relatively low value, software applications that are redundant, and software applications that have a relatively high value; and
make a recommendation based on the analysis to change the technology portfolio to:
(i) remove software applications that have a relatively low value;
(ii) remove software applications that are redundant; and
(iii) consider improving software applications that have a relatively high value.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions for directing the processor to analyze software applications include instructions for directing the processor to:
analyze each application in the technology portfolio according to a filter to identify software applications that have a relatively low value.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the filter searches for applications that have a number of users below a given amount.
11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions for directing the processor to analyze software applications comprise instructions for directing the processor to:
determine whether the functionality of a given application is redundant compared to another application in the technology portfolio.
12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions for directing the processor to analyze software applications comprise instructions for directing the processor to:
analyze each application in the technology portfolio according to a criterion; and
collect the analysis of each application in a criteria database,
wherein the recommendation is made based on the analysis of each application in the criteria database.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the criterion is at least one of the following criteria: usage of the application by a number of existing users; criticality of the application; impact of decommissioning the application on existing processes; availability and maintainability of the application source code; availability of documentation for the application; compliance issues; quality issues for existing processes; or quality issues with related applications.
14 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to overhaul a technology portfolio, said control logic comprising:
first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to analyze software applications in the technology portfolio to identify software applications that have a relatively low value, software applications that are redundant, and software applications that have a relatively high value; and
second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to make a recommendation based on the analysis to change the technology portfolio to:
(i) remove software applications that have a relatively low value;
(ii) remove software applications that are redundant; and
(iii) consider improving software applications that have a relatively high value.
15 . The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the first computer readable program code means comprises:
third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to analyze each application in the technology portfolio according to a filter to identify software applications that have a relatively low value.
16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the filter searches for applications that have a number of users below a given amount.
17 . The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the first computer readable program code means comprises:
third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine whether the functionality of a given application is redundant compared to another application in the technology portfolio.
18 . The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the first computer readable program code means comprises:
third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to analyze each application in the technology portfolio according to a criterion; and
fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to collect the analysis of each application in a criteria database,
wherein the recommendation is made based on the analysis of each application in the criteria database.
19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the criterion is at least one of the following criteria: usage of the application by number of existing users; criticality of the application; impact of decommissioning the application on existing processes; availability and maintainability of the application source code; availability of documentation for the application; compliance issues; quality issues for existing processes; or quality issues with related applications.